Canoe&Kayak Taupo

By Anna Rickmann

An awesome tour on the water.

Anna Rickmann

http://www.backpackerdeals.co.nz/

Canoe&Kayak TaupoBy Anna

At a quarter to three I arrived at the Canoe and Kayak store in the center of Taupo. Their store already got me into the right mood for the following hours. Kajaks and canoes, Stand Up Paddle boards and much more equipment you can possibly need for these sports. I met Laura, the owner of the shop and we had an awesome little chat. I also met her dog, who was a little sick that day, but I was told that he usually is the attraction in the store. We waited for the rest of the group to arrive, so we could leave for our 2h Float Trip on the Waikato River. You could get changed in the store, leave all your things you don’t need and get free refreshments.
After the 8 of us had all signed a form and written down our email so the photos of the trip can be send to us afterwards, it was time to take our towels, sunglasses and sunscreen and jump in the van. It was a five minute ride to the point of the river where we put our kayaks in the water. Our two guides were motivated, funny and loved their job. All together we pulled the boats off the van and grabbed some paddles and life jackets. Standing in a circle we learned how to use the paddle effectively and how to behave when you fall out of the kayak and it goes upside down.

The atmosphere during the trip was lovely, not only because the weather was sunny and warm but also because our guides knew all our names, were willing to get to know us which all created a familiar mood and atmosphere.

We took some memory pictures and then finally jumped into our boats. My shoulders were already a little burned, so I put lots of sunscreen on, which was definitely a good decision. As a compact group we kayaked on the crystal clear water, the flourishing nature around us. We passed the cliff where I stood this morning, but no one was jumping. It was all quiet. Nothing disturbed the idyll.

We kept on paddling and arrived at some hot pools, which were already full of people enjoying the stunning spot. The closer you got to the stream dabbling down little waterfalls, the hotter it got. I couldn’t stand the heat, so I placed myself in an area where I felt the hot water and the cold water at the same time. The hot water from the stream was flowing in waves so it was really refreshing. Our stopover was about 20 minutes, before we got back into our boats to finish the tour.

We all helped each other pulling the kayaks out of the water and put them back on the trailer waiting for us. In return for our help we got a refreshing drink. Then van brought us back to the store where I picked up my belongings and made my way back to Taupo Urban Retreat Lodge.